1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biometrics-based personal authentication technology, individual differences in the finger-vein patterns. In particular, it relates to an entering-room or leaving-room management technology using this personal authentication technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
As one of personal authentication technologies, there exists a method of performing the authentication with the use of a finger-vein pattern image captured using near-infrared light (refer to, e.g., JP-A-2001-184507).
In a place where a comparatively high-level security is requested, such as an entrance or an exit to an under-management area, it is necessary to perform an authentication of confirming the identification of a person to be authenticated. In addition to this, as a countermeasure against an emergency where the authenticatee is being forced to unlock the key under threat against the authenticatee's will, it is also necessary to prepare a method of ensuring the safety of both the authenticatee and the under-management area. As a widely known method, there exists the method of using an emergency button: In a cash automatic-transaction machine, there exist the following methods: A method where, when the user feels the danger of his or her safety or life, the user uses an urgency code so as to make it impossible to withdraw the cash from the machine (refer to, e.g., JP-A-10-79071), or a method where the use of an urgency-report personal identification number allows an urgency report to be issued such that a robber existing near the client does not recognize the issuing of the report (refer to, e.g., JP-A-2000-20794). Also, in a fingerprint authentication scheme or a retina authentication scheme, there exists the following method: A finger or an eye that differs from the ordinary authenticating finger or eye, or a finger or an eye whose direction differs from the ordinary direction is selected as security-interrelated authentication information (refer to, e.g., JP-A-2000-298756).
In the above-described method of using the emergency button, if the threatening criminal exists near the user, the user finds it very difficult to take the action of pushing the button. In the above-described method of using, the finger that differs from the ordinary one for authentication, the user needs to make a motion that differs from ordinary motions, although the user need not take so conspicuous and straightforward an action as pushing the button. Actually, even a situation can be assumed where the user cannot make even this motion because of fear. Even if the user summons up his or her courage to take the action, the unusual movement is accompanied by a risk of being detected and seen through by the criminal who has kept watching all the actions of the user. This, accordingly, requires the implementation of a method for issuing the urgency report on the emergency to internal and external concerned agencies without being noticed by the criminal. Also, it is requested that a personal authentication apparatus for implementing the above-described authentication and urgency report perform no false operation.